More than Meets the Eye: Multimedia Narratives that Connect Generations and Cultures

Fleeting expressions and unexpected backstories cross cultures and generations in this extension of More than Meets the Eye, featuring photos, audio stories, and illustrated memoirs created and selected by immigrant and refugee youth who have settled in Cincinnati. Through their distinctive experiences, reflected in frames of their choosing, these young travelers provide colorful, compelling portrayals of how the universal themes of resilience, peace, and hope can connect people across divides and unite them in a deeper understanding of shared humanity.

Their photos shed light on experiences that are lived far outside traditional media representations. Each photo is rooted in the realities of complex narratives, yet simplified through personal backstories that help put global issues into local context. By uplifting the narratives of young people in Cincinnati whose relocation marks a critical turning point in their lives, this collaboration between A Picture’s Worth and Maketank Inc. provides opportunities for deeper understanding, connection across cultures, and compassion.

A Picture’s Worth bases much of its work on the understanding that every photograph represents multiple stories that shift depending on who is centered in it and whose perspective is being shared. Maketank Inc. leads teen immigrants and refugees through a restorative process of authoring and illustrating their own lived experience, which become published records of their distinct life journeys and personal truths.

More than Meets the Eye is presented at two Participating Venues as part of the FotoFocus Biennial. This exhibition is a continuation of More than Meets the Eye: An Immersive Display of Narrative Power through Photos on view at the Purple People Bridge.